Discriminating against the Deaf
By: Ben Manning
Updated: June 17, 2010
BELLEFONTE, CENTRE COUNTY - A local man wants to serve his community as a police officer but the state says it's against the law just because he wears a hearing aid.
Bill Furman had passed his physical exams and was moving on in the academy to become a police officer. When the director told him he couldn't continue training and wear his hearing aids. He says his hearing aids are no different than police officers who wear glasses to see better. And he's turning to the courts to make the state hear him out.
Furman is a Parking and Animal Control officer in Bellefonte. But it's been a life-long dream to be a police officer. He has pictures of himself wearing his father’s police uniform when he was a child.
Furman's also deaf. But you wouldn't know it to talk to him. His hearing aids fit in his ear canal and you really can't see them when you look at his face. But right now those hearing aids are keeping him from living out his dream.
The State Police runs the Officer Training Academy which certifies people to become municipal officers. And Act 120 says that you can't use a hearing aid when qualifying.
Furman says that's not fair. And the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania is backing him up. They filed a lawsuit in U. S. District Court Wednesday that says it's not only unfair, it's in direct violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. And they're hoping to change state law.
Furman wants to serve as a police officer in Bellefonte, the community that hired him four years ago.
There's also a bill in the House of Representatives that would also change the state law, but it's been stalled in committee.
Bill Furman had passed his physical exams and was moving on in the academy to become a police officer. When the director told him he couldn't continue training and wear his hearing aids. He says his hearing aids are no different than police officers who wear glasses to see better. And he's turning to the courts to make the state hear him out.
Furman is a Parking and Animal Control officer in Bellefonte. But it's been a life-long dream to be a police officer. He has pictures of himself wearing his father’s police uniform when he was a child.
Furman's also deaf. But you wouldn't know it to talk to him. His hearing aids fit in his ear canal and you really can't see them when you look at his face. But right now those hearing aids are keeping him from living out his dream.
The State Police runs the Officer Training Academy which certifies people to become municipal officers. And Act 120 says that you can't use a hearing aid when qualifying.
Furman says that's not fair. And the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania is backing him up. They filed a lawsuit in U. S. District Court Wednesday that says it's not only unfair, it's in direct violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. And they're hoping to change state law.
Furman wants to serve as a police officer in Bellefonte, the community that hired him four years ago.
There's also a bill in the House of Representatives that would also change the state law, but it's been stalled in committee.
Comments
Why is being deaf a big deal for the Bellefonte PD? They have plenty of retarded officers.
Peter M.
July 17, 2011 at 10:48 am
Hey guys... having hearing loss and using hearing aids does not mean you're deaf. That like saying that someone who wears glasses is BLIND. glasses and hearing aids are corrective devices. This is grossly unfair that this guy can't protect our community because he wears a hearing aid. I know lots of people who use hearing aids - doens't affect their job because they can HEAR!
janene j.
June 17, 2010 at 11:56 pm
x
Mike S.
June 17, 2010 at 3:19 am
